Celebrations in the wake of the men’s basketball team’s victories this weekend turned occasionally destructive, as some students vandalized university property during rallies on and near campus, although officials said there were no local arrests.

Following Georgetown’s victory over Vanderbilt Friday night, students crowded N Street, blocking the street from the base of the library steps all the way past Alumni Square. Both the Department of Public Safety and the Metropolitan Police Department said they had anticipated Friday night’s celebration and had officers surrounding the event.

Capt. Willie Smith of MPD’s Second District said that there were no arrests or problems that stemmed from the rally.

A section of a fence on the east side of Alumni Square was torn off and burned during the evening. Although a portion of the fence “suffered extensive damage,” DPS Director Darryl Harrison said no one was apprehended in connection with the vandalism.

Vice President for University Safety David Morrell said that DPS and MPD both responded to the fire.

“No one was identified, but fortunately DPS was quick to respond [and] was able to put out the fire before it burned too far,” he said. “By the time the fire department arrived, the fire was out.”

Revelers set several other small fires in Henle Village and on N Street Friday night, but no injuries or other extensive damages were reported.

But Friday’s celebration was just a preview of what was to come after the Hoyas’ win over the University of North Carolina on Sunday.

While the crowd, which initially gathered on N Street, jumped on cars and chanted in unison, numerous fireworks were set off above the commotion. Smith said that most fireworks are illegal in the District but that MPD did not receive reports of illegal fireworks.

“If there were, they would have been confiscated and handed over to the fire department for destruction,” he said.

After celebrating on N Street, students flooded onto M Street, and some continued down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. MPD followed the students as they moved to M Street, where they halted traffic.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Smith said. “We let the students celebrate and made sure nothing major happened.”

DPS and MPD reported no arrests or major disturbances during the celebration.

“A lot of the students were celebrating, rallying but there were no arrests made,” Smith said.

Students said that many drivers on the congested street were just as enthusiastic about the victory as the students participating in the victory parade.

“It was awesome,” Paul Elliott (COL ’07) said. “People were honking their horns, throwing out high fives and pounds the whole time we ran.”

As Georgetown’s “march” madness continued and students slowed traffic on M Street and then Pennsylvania Avenue, PD maintained a constant presence, but did not attempt to disperse the crowd.

At the end of the more than two-mile trek to the White House, hundreds of students gathered at the fence of the South Lawn. The Secret Service and MPD responded by increasing their presence and turning on the lawn lights, and the crowd switched from singing the Georgetown fight song to the Star-Spangled Banner.

Harrison said that no students were apprehended outside of the White House.

The celebration stretched several miles and lasted several hours, but it caused no serious problems, Harrison said.

“MPD was extremely impressed with our students’ behavior,” he said. “There was no destruction of property or maliciousness.”

Smith and Harrison said that similar measures for crowd control will be taken this weekend as the Hoyas take on Ohio State University on Saturday night.

Smith said he did not anticipate a greater MPD presence this weekend than that on Sunday.

“We expect to let students celebrate a Georgetown victory, hopefully,” he said.

Harrison said there would be an added DPS presence for the weekend and that there will be “sufficient coverage” for the aftermath of Saturday’s game.